#nina zenik also from six of crows (also only 17)

[bleakbluejay]

top five women

the hardest ask i've ever gotten as a lesbian. "all of them" is a funny answer but i will try to pick 5.

hmmmmm.

in no particular order:

Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider series

She's smart, she's strong, she's witty, and she's hot. What else is there? I loved the Tomb Raider games as a kid. I used to make her do flips and swan dives and play around with her outfits (most relevant in Anniversary and Legend). She was so so cool. I'm not as big a fan of the reboot Lara, other than they made her queer, but :)

Anna the Huntress from Dead by Daylight

My wife. The game lore did her kinda dirty, but that's what headcanon is for. She's a big strong tall Russian lady who lives in the woods and hunts people. She kidnaps little girls from villages so she can take care of them in her little cabin and give them toys. She kills nazis. She sings. I'm so, so in love with her.

Ellen Ripley from the Alien series

Sigourney Weaver in general... but Ripley in particular. Brave, adaptable, intelligent. A girlboss if there ever was one. She's one of my favorite Final Girls (topped only by Nancy from the original Nightmare on Elm Street). Everything Ripley ever says is 100% correct and for some reason nobody wants to listen to her.

Leia Organa from Star Wars

A princess. A general. A rebel leader. And a badass bitch. Leia was one of the earliest examples of a good, strong-willed and fearless female character I had as a kid. Even if she needs rescue from time to time, she does plenty of rescuing others herself. She takes no guff from scoundrels like Han Solo or fascists like Grand Moff Tarkin. Her parents would be so, so proud of her.

Nani Pelekai from Lilo and Stitch

The relationship between Nani and her little sister Lilo reminded me a lot of my mom and me. And it takes a lot to raise a little kid on your own (especially one that is a little special needs like me and Lilo both were), working a crappy job, having no time for a social life, and having to fight against Child Protective Services. Being poor + indigenous + a broken family fucking sucks. But Nani held it together, just like my mom did. I can't forget a character like that.

[manikas-whims]

Recently, I'm seeing a rise in the most awful misinterpretations of some characters in Six of Crows, so I'm gonna address how wrong they are.

Before I start: if you haven't said any of what I'm going to mention here, then it means I'm not pointing fingers at you. Don't take offense for something you didn't do.

Now I'm gonna try to keep it as short as possible...

Part 1

"I don't think Inej loves Kaz." "Inej doesn't love Kaz as much as he does her." "Inej is ignorant." bla bla bla...

A cousin of mine (15 yo) read the books and said the same things as above.

I asked her what does love mean to her and she responded it meant "two people showing their emotions by acts like kisses, cuddles, etc." and "by being together with that person by the end of the story".

Obviously, that's not all to love. Younger audiences tend to not take note of the faint nuances the same way grownups do. Its just like watching disney movies and only later realising the ambiguous meanings in certain dialogues. But we can't simply say that age plays a major factor here.

While SoC is a YA novel and aimed for age groups 13-17 mostly, many adults enjoy the books.

I myself read the books this year (23 yo) and my perception of love is different from my cousin's. Love isn't simply an emotion or feeling or gestures. LOVE IS WORK. It requires both the parties involved to put in equal effort.

And so, when Inej says "I will have you without armor." , she isn't being ignorant at all. She does mean it in the literal sense. But also more than that. Inej is an honest person and says whats on her mind freely. She expects the same honesty in return. She says this dialogue because while Kaz seems to know a good amount about her— her full real name, how she was taken to Ketterdam and sold to Tante Heleen, etc. Inej knows nothing about him, not even his real name. The first thing she learns about him is that he had a brother and a vague "i had a lot of things."

And even with things Kaz doesn't know about her, she's ready to share. She tells him that it was easy for her to entirely dissociate when seeing her clients but she couldn't do it with one guy, the guy who'd seen her perform on the high wire as a kid. She shares this deep, awful experience with him and says its not easy for her either. In doing so, being honest about her past, she encourages him to take a step as well. To try and be a little honest about himself, share a small part of himself. She wants him to put some effort into their relationship because a simple "i want you" isn't enough. They both need to work on a lot of things to reach that "i want you". SHE ISN'T IGNORANT.

Later on, Inej realises, she can't ask so much honesty of Kaz because that one bathroom scene is an eye opener for both of them. She realises that she may have handled that kiss on the neck but what if she couldn't have? What if she had dissociated on instinct, as her defense mechanism? What if? Kaz adds to all that when he tells her to take the money and leave, forget him. But does she do that? NO. She thinks whether it would be better for her to find a kind man, bear his children and then sharpen her knives at night. And she realizes she doesn't want that because she can only be her true self (a kind woman who wields knives) with Kaz. She can only be her genuine self with Kaz. She thinks "he'd tried, they'd tried. They could try again." She wants to try again with Kaz. SHE WANTS HIM JUST AS MUCH.

Now for a moment, lets consider the other female character in SoC— Nina Zenik. We all call her an "Unapologetic Queen" for being herself, being proud of her body proportions and such. But if Nina was a woman of color, would she get the same hype? Don't say "Yes" because we know that won't be the case. Nina wouldn’t get the same hype for her plus sized representation if she was a poc.

And this, I'm speaking as a Desi. I know what I face in real life from people of other cultures. I've experienced a lot of stereotypes about myself as a South Asian woc. And while not everyone treats me the same, I do encounter alot of obvious stereotypical assumptions about myself.

Similarly, so many people when they read the "I will have you without armor" dialogue, completely stop looking further into Inej. Age factor is very miniscule. Most of this, whether you like it or not, stems from the internalized stereotype that "brown girls are mean and insensitive". Thats how we've typically seen them portrayed in majority of media and that's where many readers' thoughts immediately head to when they read the "without armor" dialogue. Those of you who say the quoted things mentioned at the top, don't bother to look as deeply into Inej's perspective as you do for Kaz or Nina or the others. You simply settle for calling her ignorant.

Did you ever give her more thought instead of reducing her to the stereotypical brown girl?

Did you ever consider that this girl has her own demons? That this girl was captured forcefully and sold into prostitution at 14!? That this girl sometimes even gets scared of touches from her own friends? That this girl finds it harder to handle contact that she doesn't see coming? That she suffered abuse and was rewarded with kindness by the same hands that touched her at the Menagerie!? That at some point she just fearfully anticipated for whatever was to come, be it a gentle caress or a harsh slap across her cheek? That this girl was raped again and again and again every single day when she was only 14? That she was violated and touched in places too private without her consent? That she was continuously treated so by men twice, thrice, even four times her age!?

Did you ever consider that this girl who struggles with so much didn't let her suffering define her!? That she rises above these atrocities and finds a purpose!? That she chooses to pursue her own goals and save any other kids from whatever horrid things she went through!?

Did you ever consider that despite everything this girl suffered at the hands of innumerable people, she wants to try again with Kaz?

For a girl like her to let Kaz kiss her neck completely unguarded (she doesn't have her knives with her in that scene)..to still be able to give her heart to Kaz, is a very beautiful thing. It means she trusts him so much more than she'll ever trust any other person..

Everyone expresses themselves in different ways. Thats what makes each human so unique. Just because Inej isn't saying poetic things in her pov chapters, doesn't mean she loves Kaz any less.

Inej Ghafa loves Kaz Brekker. And she always will. But her love doesn't mean she must give up on her own purpose. Kaz doesn't ask her to. And she doesn't ask Kaz to give up his position as the new King of the Barrel. They're equals who support each other in their goals. They're two people in love who will take their baby steps towards healing together.

Inej and Kaz love each other.

Inej and Kaz are together.

Inej isn't ignorant, just misread.

Rant over for now. Next I'll be talking about Matthias Helvar..:)

[jack-kellys]

if it would help organize your thoughts i’d love a quick rundown of the new au 👀🥰 (for reference i don’t know what six of crows is so context would be lovely lmao)

hey there kath at long fucking last ;) so okay first of all.

what is six of crows?

six of crows is a book, the first in a duology, set in the same world as the recently netflix'd book series shadow and bone! the books and the show (which, from a i-read-the-books standpoint, it was GREAT???) definitely have made their rounds of popularity on tumblr twitter etc, so i'm sure some of you at least know of the netflix adaption. (please don’t hesitate to ask more clarifying questions in relation to this!! and about characters or lifestyle or plot. pls. my ask box is so open)

six of crows, specifically, is still one of the best books i have ever read. it takes place in a fictional sort of 1920s-vibe era that has magical elements to it. what is GREAT about it is that it doesn't center around the magic (shadow and bone does but ah i didn't like those books as much)- the magic is simply in the world and it is so effortlessly talked about and politicized. there are six main characters and together they pull the most well-written, smart, thought-out heist for a million kruge, which is their currency. and that would be all the plot context you'd need, since in theory, i would invent... a whole.. whole different fucking heist....😔

okay, but rizz, the world of the story, you said there was magic.

i did, yeah, so there are certain people--called Grisha--that are born with abilities. you'd take this sort of genetics test when you're young and you'd find out. there are different kinds of abilities that range from fire to manipulating solid matter. more to come on them though🤝.

there are five main continents--kerch, ravka, novyi zem, fjerda, and shu han, though most of the story takes place in kerch's capital city and then in fjerda where the heist takes place. five continents, five boroughs... sometimes things just work out lads. anyways, character time.

jack kelly--kaz brekker's role

this is a no-brainer i would hope. in the book, kaz is a ranking gang member of a gang called the Dregs, which fits perfectly with jack as they’re both young leaders. kaz is a very broody type of leader, very snide and aloof, and jacks jackness would be fun to write in this position. hes a criminal mastermind at only 17, of course, and crafts the genius plan of the heist himself. kaz is also extremely ruthless, which ties into his aloofness, so jacks charisma paired with that same ruthlessness? oh man. oh man thats gonna be so fun.

davey jacobs, the ghost--inej ghafa, the wraith's role

YALL in the book inej is basically an acrobatic knife-weilding spy who literally makes no noise entering rooms and can scale buildings. she's also one of few characters with a mentioned family of mom, dad, brother, etc. she's kaz's right hand, as davey is jack's. inej is also the heart that kaz doesn't have, so to speak. while jack would certainly have more of a heart than kaz (who is like. basically heartless until inej you know the drill), he doesn't often think to use it, and davey would be his reminder ("well, how do you feel about it" "who's going to be affeted by this" "no, Jack, thats murder"). also nimble acrobatic davey... yeah♥️

racetrack higgins—jesper fahey’s role

lads. this is the one that redeems my love for race (which had lowkey died out lmao!). black, sharpshooter, pretty pistol-wielding, gambling, bisexual jesper fahey is a highlight of the entire series, and is kaz’s closest person to a brother he’d ever allow himself. jack and race’s dynamic would be out of this goddamn world with them in these positions and i cannot WAIT to get into it. also race will be hiding a secret that we will find out later tehe 😌

crutchie morris—nina zenik’s role

now. for those of you who have read the series y’all might be like hmm… idk about this one… but Let Me Tell You. first of all, nina is bouncy and snappy and bold and unapologetically herself. and that is exactly who crutchie is. he is so proud of who he is and where he came from and who he’s become! nina is also a grisha, called a heartrender, which gives her powers over the human heart (speed/slow pulses down, stop hearts, i think they can like… squeeze them almost it’s wild)! which means my man crutch has powers. making crutchie nina gives crutchie and dave an absolutely wonderful dynamic so that’s very exciting🤝

spot conlon—matthias helvar’s role

YALL gonna hate me for this one lowkey LMAO… so matthias comes from a place where they believe grishas are witches and should all burn and die! gah!!!! he has a past with nina, which i plan to reflect with crutchie and spot which is absolutely BALLER… those two need more content together and i am willing to give it. you’re welcome. like spot, matthias often is quite stone-faced and serious, very much the “you guys are all idiots” while being an absolute lovesick dope all the while. very underrated character, i’m quite pleased w myself on this one AND how im gonna do ships… oh baby

and finally.

katherine pulitzer—wylan van eck’s role

oh fucking BABYYYYY this one is hype. in the book, wylan’s father is the one that hires the crows (our beloved cast) for the million dollar job, and kaz sort of recruits wylan for like. sort of insurance, that they’ll get the money or like they’ll harm van eck’s son. but he’s also a huge asset—he knows a shit ton about explosives and demolition, so he actually becomes super helpful in their little mission and he hates his dad♥️😌. kath is similar for a billion reasons, but i like kath being “the new kid” and learning about life that isn’t in a mansion, and her really wanting to escape the way her father wants her to live and find her own people. also kath is the audience’s eyes into the world of the crows for y’all so you’re welcome for this pov lmao.

}{ }{ }{

if you can’t tell im extremely excited to try and actually… mm start something again? and this isn’t the clearest description im gonna make so i have more to go for sure. ask me LEGIT anything, i am. i am begging. go ask.

[alesreadings]

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.

5 stars.

“No mourners. No funerals. Among them, it passed for 'good luck.” If we added as soundtrack Gimme Gimme by ABBA to this book, it would fit. Can y'all imagine Inej, Jesper and Wylan stealing the tank and running away with that song on the background? Masterpiece. *chef kiss* Six of Crows is by far one of my favorite books. I read it two years ago, after the Grisha trilogy and I have to admit that Leigh Bardugo has improved tremendously as a writer. I consider this a much better story than her main trilogy. The plot, the characters, the writing, the pacing, the descriptions, the worldbuilding and the breadth she has given it is perfection. I'll go in order to describe how much I loved this book. In Six of Crows, we follow six misfits who have a common goal: thirty million kruge. They have to go to the Ice Court in Fjerda, the "safest" prison in the world and rescue, or kidnap, Bo Yul-Bayur, a Grisha who accidentally created a drug called jurda parem, which sharpens and increases the Grisha's powers, taking them to high and unknown levels. We have a sharpshooter who can't stay away from a good bet. A wayward son who was kicked out of his father's house and is underestimated, but is very smart. An ex-convict accused slaver, the world's most handsome, lovable, and idiotic fjerdan brute, out for revenge. A lost Grisha who makes a living healing people and trying to get the fjerdan out of the jail he put him in. A suli girl who is basically a ghost, the Wrath, a spy who defies the laws of gravity and is a sweetheart of a person. And finally, our favorite swindler: the Bastard of the Barrel, someone whom legends have turned him into a monster, someone without scruples, without morals or conscience. Will they be able to unite to achieve their goal and come out alive? Or will they end up killing each other before they reach Fjerda? Plot. As I said, compared to the Grisha trilogy, Six of Crows is perfection at its finest. It's not the first heist book (I've only read this one, sorry), but it grabs you from the first moment. I love that Leigh has taken up the Grisha again - I must confess that I love the Grisha order and how she has placed them - and that in this book she continues to include them as a fundamental part of the plot. Just like the first time, Six of Crows grabbed me, although I never understood why Joost and his chapter, I did feel bad that he was all dead. Each chapter had me hooked and begging for more. Even the very end left me screaming and crying like crazy. I have to repeat it: Miss Bardugo, this is a masterpiece, an exquisite and divine piece. Every plot twist had me in suspense or saying "I need more". It's a more radical departure from what we were given in the Grisha trilogy. They steal, explote things, destroy places and make great entrances, lol

Characters. Kaz "killer cane" Brekker. I want to protect him, and at the same time beat him with his cane. His story is touching at a certain point and makes you understand how or why Kaz became who he is now, why he is such a bastard, arrogant and fearless at the same time. There is never a challenge hard enough for him as he dares to prove otherwise. He shows us that he is one step ahead of the rest, and if he runs out of tricks, our demjin manages and invents more. Dirty Hands is a magician, a monster thirsty for revenge for the death of his brother, Jordie, thanks to a scam Pekka Rollins pulled on them when they were just kids. Kaz is full of secrets, tricks, schemes and more that it's scary to know what he's thinking. He's a bastard forged in the very cauldrons of hell, a seventeen-year-old kid who worked his way up through tooth and nail, using his brother's corpse to swim and get to where he is. Inej "The Wrath" Ghafa. Inej was captured and sold as a slave to the cursed Tante Heleen, who owns a brothel. Inej has the ability to go unnoticed, so much so that Kaz Brekker did not feel her approaching him. In any case, Kaz pays Inej's contract with Heleen and joins the Undesirables, becomes Kaz's right-hand man and his spy, or spider. Kaz and Inej are obviously in love, but they don't confess it to each other because it's complicated, and I don't know if I want to yell at them to kiss, or punch them to make them realize it. Inej deserves the whole world. She can stab me and I would appreciate it. Nina "my queen" Zenik. Nina had joined the Ravkan Second Army and was captured before the civil war in Ravka, she was imprisoned by the drüskelle to be taken to Fjerda to be tried for her crimes, which are basically: having powers. She is a heartrender, order of the Corporalki. She met my other goddess Zoya Nazyalenski. Well, anyway, Matthias was one of the drüskelle who imprisoned her and when their ship sinks, she saves him. Nina and Matthias wander around in each other's company and in the end, she brands him a slaver and Matthias ends up imprisoned in Kerch. One can feel the tension between them: enemies to lovers vibes, yup, I live for that. In the end, to save them all, Nina decides to consume jurda parem and knows that she will experience drastic changes in terms of her power and herself. Matthias "the tulip" Helvar. He is my beautiful baby, the most adorable bear and the cutest brute of all. You don't know how much I have laughed for him, he is so innocent in many things that I want to protect him from everything and everyone. Yes, I have a thing for blond brutes (Nikolai Lantsov, I'm talking to you too). From the first time I read Six of Crows, I instantly fell in love with Matthias and will be in love with him until I die. Amen. I already know what happens to him in Crooked Kingdom and I don't want it to come to that. Seriously he deserves all the love in the world, and even though I wanted to punch him many times, I also wanted to hug him and tell him that everything is going to be okay. In the end, Matthias renounces the beliefs that were instilled in him, accepts reality and becomes a Dreg, fighting against his own people. Jesper "crazy hands" Fahey. Jes is a Zemeni boy who came to Kerch to study at the university, but by chance, he ends up becoming a gambler. Jesper is a Grisha, a Materialki, and only Kaz and Inej know his secret. He is a fairly agile sharpshooter and a gambler who can't resist a good game without knowing he will lose. In a slip of the tongue, Jesper confesses what they are about to do and as they are about to leave Ketterdam, they are attacked. Jesper is a baby and I must protect him from all evil and danger. Plus, I really ship him with Wylan. Wylan "little merc" Van Eck. Another baby. I want to protect him from everything and everyone, especially his bastard of a father. Ugh, I hate him. When Jan Van Eck proves to be the jerk he is in front of his son, I wanted to cry with rage because my little baby boy doesn't deserve any of that. Wylan is smarter than others give him credit for, and

even Kaz thinks that just because he can't read doesn't stop him from doing amazing things; he doesn't put it that way, but I do. Worldbuilding. We find ourselves in a totally different country from Ravka. In the Grisha trilogy, we focused more on a description of Ravka, but now, we have two different places: Kerch and Fjerda. Although Shu Han, Novyi Zem, and Ravka are mentioned again, Ketterdam is a fairly fixed point. The description of the places is incredible: you seriously imagine it as a Dutch city in the Victorian era. Tell me I wasn't the only one. I don't know what else can I say about these assholes that I haven't already said. They're so chaotic, funny and you attach to them really quick, even if you want to kick them. I can't really believe they're 16-17-18 years old: they feel really older and "mature", but once you know them, you realize they're a bunch of kids trying to make a heist. Anyways, I loved Six of Crows with my entire life. I'm a sucker for this masterpiece and I'm really looking forward Crooked Kingdom, but knowing what happens to my tullip makes me wanna cry, scream and destroy the world. We stan Kanej, Helnik and Wesper, bitches. I love my Dregs. :')

[sabrinaacarpenters]

tumblr tag game

thank you so much for tagging me @fredy-carter ❤️

1. Why did you choose your url?

after reading six of crows last year i absolutely fell in love with miss Nina Zenik so I had to have her as my url and we haven’t parted ways since <3 (and this spelling was the closest canon i could get, whoever has nina-zenik saved i would love you forever if you’d grace me with it) 

2. Any side blogs?

i’m a member at @dailybridgerton and besides that I have another main blog that i haven’t updated in forever but it’s always funny to go back and see what i reblogged and posted as an edgy teen haha

3. How long have you been on tumblr?

i think i made my personal blog in 2011 and i created this one in 2013 but i wasn’t always active on it

4. Do you have a queue tag?

only a ‘q’ because i can’t be bothered typing out anything longer 

5. Why did you start your blog in the first place?

i dont even remember exactly to be honest but i think i just wanted to keep up with the fandoms i was in at the time and participate 

6. Why did you choose your icon/pfp?

sour has been playing 24/7 since it came out so it only made sense to have miss Olivia as my icon

7. Why did you choose your header?

i wanted something very simple with a quote that i love and this one resonated with me so much when i read crescent city

8. What’s your post with the most notes?

this text post which somehow reached 200k people despite only having bellarke as a hashtag lmao 

9. How many mutuals do you have?

i have no idea to be honest since i’ve been here so long, there are a lot of people that we don’t even share fandoms with anymore but we still follow each other <3 

10. How many followers do you have?

i’m almost at 2,9k which i’m incredibly grateful for <3 

11. How many people do you follow?

372

12. Have you ever made a shit post?

i think half of my original posts here are shit posts lmao

13. How often do you use tumblr a day?

i basically open it anytime im bored and browse it like its the morning newspaper

14. Did you ever have a fight/argument with another blog?

yes lmao. but lately i’ve been just blocking people instead of trying to argue, they aren’t worth the energy

15. How do you feel about the ‘you need to reblog’ posts?

as a gifmaker i completely agree that if you like something you should reblog it. none of us get paid to be here and create content, spend hours from our free time creating things, be it gifs, fanfics, fanart, playlists, icons, headers or anything else. and seeing 80%-20% like/reblog ratio can be really disheartening, so i understand why so many creators just gave up on it or lost motivation. for me the biggest motivator is seeing people reblog my creations because that means they liked it and while i dont make then for validation it still feels great to know that someone likes what you do so much that they want to show it to others as well. but of course no one has to reblog anything, and i’ll never block anyone just for only liking something (which i’ve seen some people do but i think its rather extreme)  also if you really want to make someone’s day just leave any personal message in the tags, i know i always check them and its an instant serotonin boost when someone say they really love a set

16. Do you like tag games?

yes, even if i forget to do them sometimes, but just know that if you tagged me at anything i’ll love you forever

17. Do you like ask games?

i love them, it’s always great to talk to all of you who follow me <3

18. Which of your mutuals do you think is tumblr famous?

all of you that get random anon messages, asking about your opinions, you are all celebrities in my eyes

19. Do you have a crush on a mutual?

crush? im in love with all of you jk

20. Tags!

@vanserrasvalkyrie @starbornvalkyrie @ladyvanserra @yazthebookish @teamnick @hopemikaelsson @tylorswft @starkkov @helion-ism @arielle-reads @catalinabaylors @oversizedbats @patel-dev and anyone who wants to do it <3 

[probablytenderjourneys]

SIX OF CROWS AND CROOKED KINGDOM-LEIGH BARDUGO

There is no secret to anyone that knows me that the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo is my favourite thing to ever exist. The books are my comfort books; there is no describing the comfort I feel whenever i talk about them or read them; but if you are a reader like me, I'm sure you understand. There are so many things in those two books that just make me feel so safe and happy although I always end up sobbing whenever i read them. I'll try to tell you a bit about the characters and why I absolutely adore all of them, without spoiling too much(or anything). First of all:

1. Kaz Brekker: 17 year old boy, dark hair, tragic past. Need I say more? Kaz is a morally grey character, extremely smart and gifted with lots of abilities. Although he is part of a gang, and has scammed and killed people, he isn't 'bad'. Everything he does has a purpose- and in a city like Ketterdam, is rare to find people who wouldn't do anything and everything for money. While he does love money(quite a lot) he is motivated by his need of revenge. It's pretty rare that he loses control and does things without thinking them through. Amazingly developed character with an incredibly cool name.

2. Inej Ghafa: did someone say the strongest girl I've ever read? 16 year old who went through a life time of trauma. She kills and helps Kaz with his schemes, but she never loses her faith or her good nature. She is vicious, dangerous, deadly-but never cruel. She is wise and smart and just overall has a good heart. She does what needs to be done to stay alive and to keep her friends alive, but never enjoys it. One of my favourite female characters ever because even though she has feelings for one of the other 5 people in her team, she knows she deserves better and she never settles for anything other than that. She puts herself and her dreams and plans first. Also incredibly skilled and brave.

3. Nina Zenik: 17 year old powerful queen, sarcastic, brave and confident. A soldier who fights for what she believes in and stands her ground. Loves food and isn't hiding it. 10/10 one of my favourite women.

4. Matthias Helvar: 18 year old bigoted prick but we grow to love him as he develops. Looks like he could kill you and he most definitely can, but won't because he's a sweetheart (after he overcomes the prejudices that were put into his head).

5. Jesper Fahey: 17 year old that loves his guns and his gambling. Comedic relief, smart, incredible sharpshooter, charming and just overall a lovely character. I love him and some of his scenes broke my heart. He sometimes deserves better than what he gets.

6. Wylan: 16 year old- the rich boy of the group. Smart and brave. Even tho he is sort of 'nerdy' I love that he wasn't stereotypical at all. He is sassy and stands up for himself and for those he feels are being wronged, even against Kaz when he's at gis worst-definitely shows the kid was some courage in him.

Positives:

I love that we get chapters from all 6 perspectives. This way we really get to know the characters on a personal level, really see inside each of their minds. They are all brilliantly well developed characters- they go through changes, they learn to adapt, they learn that some things are not as black and white as they thought. We really get enough insight into their past, and we learn why each character is the way that it is. Details are given in time, not all at once. It really feels as if we are literally inside their brains. Each chapter made me feel as if I was becoming the character. The only character that doesn't have his own chapters in Six of Crows is Wylan, but Leigh Bardugo makes up for it in Crooked Kingdom.

-What attracted me to this book in the first place was the gang aspect; it somehow reminded me of Peaky Blinders. Despite it being about a heist, there is romance, not as the main focus but more as a subplot I would say-just enough to make you enjoy it without taking away from the main plot. The books also have lots of funny, heartwarming moments. Not to mention the heartbreaking ones. I can't even remember how many times I sobbed reading the books. I still cry about it sometimes, years after I read it for the first time. This what tells me a book is good: I think about it months and in this case, years after I've first read it.

-another positive is the diversity in these books: we have characters dealing with addiction, disabled characters, characters of colour, plus sized characters, characters dealing with trauma, characters dealing with various mental disorders, characters of different religions(although fictional) and characters of different sexualities. There is something for everyone. It also deals with xenophobia and sex trafficking, forced prostitution and fetishizing of different traits such as skin colour, hair colour etc. It also keeps a pretty feminist approach- there is no rivalry between the two girls in the group( Nina and Inej) and they are incredibly supportive of each other( i LOVE a good female friendship). Even when talking about the girls who 'work' at the brothels, they aren't shamed if they are there by choice- they are supported, which was good to see; it is important to see a book where sex workers aren't shamed or judged, especially considering that there is still stigma around the profession.

-what i also enjoyed is that the plot is not predictable. It keeps you on edge, it challenges you to guess the possible outcomes of every situation. Even the plans and schemes are sometimes(most of the time) hidden- we don't really learn the purpose of something until after it is done. Leigh Bardugo's mind is incredible- she comes up with the most amazing plot twists and turns. You can't really get bored of it- because if you don't keep reading, you may never find the real plan, the real purpose, why the characters choose to do certain things. It is honestly so entertaining to try to guess what happens next.

Negatives: -it does take a while to get into the action. The beginning of Six of crows involves a lot of planning, scheming, secrets- which to me seems only natural. We follow these characters through their journey and their journey isn't action packed at all times(this said, the book is never boring; there are interesting things happening at all times, even if we didn't reach the main part of the plot). The actual heist itself is more focused towards the second half of the book and that's where it really gets intense. If in the first half you find time to relax and breathe, in the second half everything comes crushing down. For me the pace wasn't a problem but I know some people like to get into things right away.

-sometimes it's hard to believe that the characters are 16 to 18. They seem so much older, so mature at times but this again seems normal to me. They went through traumatic events that most people don't go and shouldn't go through at such a young age. They were forced to grow up and mature fast because otherwise they wouldn't be alive. It's not really a negative in my opinion, but thought it was worth mentioning.

Overall, this duology is a 10/10 for me, 5/5 stars. I read it so many times and will continue to re-read it. Each time I read it, I enjoy it the same as I did when I first discovered the books. Leigh Bardugo is an amazing author.

[bipolarwitchcraft]

Awnser all the questions of the post you recently reblogged.

Yeet 1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?-water bottles. I like metal ones. 2. chocolate bars or lollipops?-lollipops3. bubblegum or cotton candy?-cotton candy4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?-a pleasure to have in class and a creative writer. I wrote a lot of stories and was told by a few teachers I could be a published author when I got older. I hope they’re right. 5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?-cans the easiest 6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?-boho goth county would accurately describe me7. earbuds or headphones?-earbuds but not apple earbuds Bc they hurt8. movies or tv shows?-tv shows under 30 mins bc my attention span is 2 seconds (excluding the Orville and 911 bc those are amazing shows)9. favorite smell in the summer?-well water and main and tail shampoo10. game you were best at in p.e.?-volleyball. If I didn’t have to play 2 sports to be in athletics I would have played it in high school. 11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?-I don’t eat breakfast usually at school but when I work at camp I’ll usually have 2 eggo waffles and peanut butter maybe with a plum or something 12. name of your favorite playlist?-drive songs 13. lanyard or key ring?-key ring. I can’t stand having my keys on a lanyard 14. favorite non-chocolate candy?-Swedish fish 15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?-the secret life of bees and of mice and men. They are the only two I actually read all the way through and didn’t sparknotes lmaoo16. most comfortable position to sit in?-completely slouched in a chair with on leg crossed 17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?-my serape ariat cruisers or my berks 18. ideal weather?-70s to mid 80s with a nice breeze 19. sleeping position?-I’m a stomach sleeper lol but I usually try to fall asleep on my left side 20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?-note book. My favorite are the 5-star note books. College rule. One subject. 21. obsession from childhood?-dinosaurs and rocks. Still relevant today as a geology major22. role model?-don’t have role models. They always disappoint. Just be a decent person and do what you enjoy. 23. strange habits?-I rub the corners of blankets and pillows and such on and under my thumb nail. But only my right. I also poke my tongue out of my mouth a little when I’m riding. 24. favorite crystal?-I’m a sucker for amethyst. But quartz is also a favorite. I have natural quartz clusters all over my backyard at home. 25. first song you remember hearing?-besides like baby songs it was probably something my dad was listening to so I’m going to say Loser by Beck or Sweet Home Alabama bc those have been staples of my life. 26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?-ride and then immediately jump in the lake 27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?-read 28. five songs to describe you?-I don’t know enough about myself to know what describes me but my favorite songs rn are ‘99’ by Barnes Courtney, Colours by Grouplove, Pumped Up Kicks by foster the people, Talk Too Much by Coin, and Broken by lovelytheband 29. best way to bond with you?-talk to me 30. places that you find sacred?-nature, whataburger at 3am, and my room 31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?-I always feel badass when I wear my show chaps 32. top five favorite vines?-omg so many. Road work ahead, Adam, any from that kid that wear his hoodie and has his ears sticking out (snoooooooooop), well when life gives you lemons, you either kill your self or get killed what you gonna do 33. most used phrase in your phone?-lmaooo34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?-tide pods with gronk 35. average time you fall asleep?-midnight ish 36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?-ummmm it was probably some iFunny shit 37. suitcase or duffel bag?-duffle 38. lemonade or tea?-sweet tea 39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?-lemon meringue pie from Bluebonnet Cafe 40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?-some much. Some let a rooster loose in the main hall and no one could catch it, some left stink bait in the locker and the whole school smelled, some just showed up and gave my ag teacher a calf, we had a interim principal who we called Bernie Sanders which he hated and sent out a announcement video telling us to stop and we only got worse 41. last person you texted?-my mom42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?-jacket pockets 43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?-oof I’m a sucker for a cardigan 44. favorite scent for soap?-lavender 45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?-fantasy 46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?-over sized t shirt47. favorite type of cheese?-mozzarella 48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?-I feel like I would be a strawberry bc im a strawberry blond/a redhead 49. what saying or quote do you live by?-sometime it just be like that 50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?-this video has my gasping every. Single. Time. If you’re sad PLS WATCH: https://youtu.be/23B017ZVIx451. current stresses?-finals and getting my wisdom teeth removed 52. favorite font?-I only use times new roman lol I don’t type a lot 53. what is the current state of your hands?-dry but my nails are getting long which I’m glad about54. what did you learn from your first job?-I worked retail so I learned how to handle people at their worst lol 55. favorite fairy tale?-I like the Disney Rapunzel, but I also like the original telling if the little mermaid 56. favorite tradition?-watching the 24hours of a Christmas Story during Christmas 57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?-self harm -body image -fighting 58. four talents you’re proud of having?-creativity through writing, riding, baking, common sense59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?-bro60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?-yoooo61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?-I’ve read too many books to have a favorite line from just one lol, but I heard “I’m a grown up ass man I can do what I want” on AP bio which was pretty funny 62. seven characters you relate to?-Nina Zenik from Six of Crows. That’s it. She’s the only one. 63. five songs that would play in your club?-I cannot stand clubs or bars so none lol64. favorite website from your childhood?-fucking moshimonster.com and girlsgogames.com 65. any permanent scars?-yep. I got burned as a baby and still have the scars on my fingers 19 years later. I have a lot more as well. 66. favorite flower(s)?-I’m more of a succulent person so cactus flowers 67. good luck charms?-I don’t really have any 68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?-I had ranch flavored soda once so that takes it. But I don’t like cheap beer either. 69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned? -a daddy long leg spider is the most poisonous spider but their fangs are too weak to pierce human skin 70. left or right handed?-right 71. least favorite pattern?-houndstooth 72. worst subject?-calculus 73. favorite weird flavor combo?-hot Cheetos and sour cream74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?-575. when did you lose your first tooth?- 5 y/o76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?-mashed 100%77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?-jade succulents 78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?-I like sushi from HEB 79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?-school id80. earth tones or jewel tones?-earth times 81. fireflies or lightning bugs?-firefly 82. pc or console?-Uhhh idk??? 83. writing or drawing?-writing 84. podcasts or talk radio?-talk radio 84. barbie or polly pocket?-Polly pocket. Forbidden gummy 85. fairy tales or mythology?-mythology 86. cookies or cupcakes?-cupcakes with no icing 87. your greatest fear?-bugs crawling in my ear 88. your greatest wish?-to be successful and happy with a S/O and a daughter on lots of land89. who would you put before everyone else?-my parents 90. luckiest mistake?-There are no mistakes. Everything happens for a reason. 91. boxes or bags?-depends 92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?-sunlight93. nicknames?-my dad calls me sissy bug and my mom calls me bamber and my friends call my dumb bitch lol so 94. favorite season?Spring or fall. They’re basically the same in Texas. 95. favorite app on your phone?-social media apps96. desktop background?-I don’t have a desktop but my laptop is just a pre downloaded galaxy ones. 97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?-mine, my moms, my dads, and my dads business 98. favorite historical era?-ancient Egypt and the 60s